New Club Brings Religious Diversity to Campus
The Satanic Temple sets out to encourage spiritual pluralism among both students and staff
By Emily Guerra
The Satanic Temple sets out to encourage spiritual pluralism among both students and staff
By Emily Guerra
One student is paving the way for religious pluralism with a new club encouraging his fellow students to own their own beliefs and celebrate the wide spectrum of faiths found in the Bay Area.
In a school that only has Christian options for religious clubs, The Satanic Temple Club’s presence on campus came as a surprise to the student body.
Club president Blayke Alexanian, 12, wanted to give students a place to spend their time where their spiritual followings are guaranteed to be accepted and where an open discussion can occur.
“I started this club for two reasons. First, I wanted a voice for me and other people to be heard,” said Alexanian.“We also wanted to break the religious monopoly in this club environment, because there are only Christian clubs available for students every month, so we decided to make another religious club so that it wasn’t the only option.”
Whether discussing multiple viewpoints within the scope of religion or extending into the world of politics, Alexanian advocates for recognition and tolerance of all sides, one of the main goals of the club this year.
“Right now we’re seeing that the main religions are getting a little less popular and most young people are labeling themselves as non affiliated,” said Alexanian. “With a more pluralist environment, not just with religion but with politics, with social groups, the more accepting we are of other people, the more we can see other viewpoints and maybe be a little less toxic in society.”
Club Advisor Michelle Bowman agrees that inclusiveness is especially important at campuses like Pioneer, a diverse group of students holding numerous denominations, if any. She hopes to see everyone practicing tolerance when interacting with people whose faith differs from their own.
“I think we live in a society where so many people just assume everyone is Christian, but we have a lot of diversity on campus and we need to recognize that, we need to make sure that we don’t make our students feel left out,” said Bowman.
Olivia Pembrook, 11, joined the club with the intent to make a change and promote free expression.
“We want to make a change and help people. (The club) sets a good example for freedom of religion,” said Pembrook.
The Satanic Temple Club is already making an impact on campus with upcoming events and further plans for the rest of the year. On Oct. 16, the club hosted an event offering assistance to students looking to preregister or register to vote, highlighting the need for young people to let their opinions and thoughts be heard.
“You should definitely register to vote, because your voice is important,” said Alexanian.
Soriah Aniff, 11, attended the club event because of the significance of voting and knowing who is representing herself and her fellow citizens in the government.
“I wanted to get more information about who is going to be running our government and I thought getting that information ahead of time and knowing the people who would be representing us is important, especially if you’re going to be voting in a couple years like I am,” said Aniff.
Alexanian encourages anybody who feels compelled to make a club surrounding their beliefs to do so in order to establish more opportunities for students to join a group that aligns with their personal spiritual feelings.
“If you have a religious club you want to make, feel free. Find a teacher who can sponsor it and start your own. Don’t be afraid to voice your views and beliefs just because you’re afraid people will oppose you,” Alexanian said. “Ultimately, your voice matters and we want to make sure everyone is heard.”
The Satanic Temple Club welcomes members of any faith, or lack thereof, to join their meetings every Wednesday during lunch in R12.
In a school that only has Christian options for religious clubs, The Satanic Temple Club’s presence on campus came as a surprise to the student body.
Club president Blayke Alexanian, 12, wanted to give students a place to spend their time where their spiritual followings are guaranteed to be accepted and where an open discussion can occur.
“I started this club for two reasons. First, I wanted a voice for me and other people to be heard,” said Alexanian.“We also wanted to break the religious monopoly in this club environment, because there are only Christian clubs available for students every month, so we decided to make another religious club so that it wasn’t the only option.”
Whether discussing multiple viewpoints within the scope of religion or extending into the world of politics, Alexanian advocates for recognition and tolerance of all sides, one of the main goals of the club this year.
“Right now we’re seeing that the main religions are getting a little less popular and most young people are labeling themselves as non affiliated,” said Alexanian. “With a more pluralist environment, not just with religion but with politics, with social groups, the more accepting we are of other people, the more we can see other viewpoints and maybe be a little less toxic in society.”
Club Advisor Michelle Bowman agrees that inclusiveness is especially important at campuses like Pioneer, a diverse group of students holding numerous denominations, if any. She hopes to see everyone practicing tolerance when interacting with people whose faith differs from their own.
“I think we live in a society where so many people just assume everyone is Christian, but we have a lot of diversity on campus and we need to recognize that, we need to make sure that we don’t make our students feel left out,” said Bowman.
Olivia Pembrook, 11, joined the club with the intent to make a change and promote free expression.
“We want to make a change and help people. (The club) sets a good example for freedom of religion,” said Pembrook.
The Satanic Temple Club is already making an impact on campus with upcoming events and further plans for the rest of the year. On Oct. 16, the club hosted an event offering assistance to students looking to preregister or register to vote, highlighting the need for young people to let their opinions and thoughts be heard.
“You should definitely register to vote, because your voice is important,” said Alexanian.
Soriah Aniff, 11, attended the club event because of the significance of voting and knowing who is representing herself and her fellow citizens in the government.
“I wanted to get more information about who is going to be running our government and I thought getting that information ahead of time and knowing the people who would be representing us is important, especially if you’re going to be voting in a couple years like I am,” said Aniff.
Alexanian encourages anybody who feels compelled to make a club surrounding their beliefs to do so in order to establish more opportunities for students to join a group that aligns with their personal spiritual feelings.
“If you have a religious club you want to make, feel free. Find a teacher who can sponsor it and start your own. Don’t be afraid to voice your views and beliefs just because you’re afraid people will oppose you,” Alexanian said. “Ultimately, your voice matters and we want to make sure everyone is heard.”
The Satanic Temple Club welcomes members of any faith, or lack thereof, to join their meetings every Wednesday during lunch in R12.